Mahogany Decking

Mahogany decks are made, of course, with mahogany. Mahogany is a natural wood that is considered to be durable and beautiful. It’s one of the more used woods for decking and outdoor living areas in the world. Like cedar and redwood, mahogany is naturally repellent to insects and other weathered conditions like moisture and seasonal temperatures.

Again like cedar and redwood, mahogany is a natural hardwood and will degrade overtime, but proper maintenance to your mahogany deck will result in many, many years of enjoyment.

Sealing a Mahogany Deck

If you want your mahogany deck to last, it’s strongly encouraged that you reseal the wood every year while sweeping, cleaning and hosing the deck down in between yearly maintenance.

There are a number of different deck sealers available. These sealers can be applied with a paint brush, paint roller, or with a spray gun. Once the sealer is allowed to penetrate the surface of the wood, it makes the wood that much stronger and harder. This will help keep the mahogany decking looking like new for many years.

Many homeowners love the look that mahogany wood can provide. Most mahogany wood has a deep, rich look unlike any other type of wood out there. This provides a unique look that is sought after in many areas. Utilizing mahogany decking also gives a homeowner a natural insect repellent. Mahogany decking does not attract insects like some of the other wood species. This means you are not going to have to worry about treating the wood for insects unless you want extra protection.

Insects such as termites can wreak havoc on a wood deck if the proper precautions are not taken. With mahogany wood decks, you’re not going to have to worry about this issue. Simply install the deck and then start enjoying it.

Colors of Mahogany

There are a number of ways a deck can lose it’s natural color, and our criminal here is the sun, more specifically it’s ultra-violet rays. Ultra-violet rays will bleach the color from any type of wood, including mahogany. If you’ve got a canopy of trees or a roof over your deck, you can defeat the suns damage and not need to worry about it. If you don’t, a pigmented, oil-based, protective coating of stain will help you tremendiously. The pigments block out the sun’s rays and also add color.

Fortunately, treating your deck floor is not difficult; it is project that you can do in an afternoon. Here are some tips that are specific to mohogany, but can be generally applied to most natural wood decks:

Why treat your mahogany deck? Treat it because it has faded to grey and you want to restore its original, rich color. Using a quality protective oil will extend its life.

When: Treat your deck when you no longer like its color. Test it: if a drop of clear oil (or water) soaks into the wood within a few seconds, then the oil treatment will also soak in. But if the oil or water stays on the surface for five seconds or more, then wait. The oil treatment will not properly soak in, and your deck is not ready.

How often you need to treat your deck is a function of how much direct sun it gets. In full sun, it will need treatment yearly. So treat it when it is new – ideally after the first rainstorms wash it but within its first few weeks of life. Thereafter, to maintain its good color, treat it yearly — or less frequently if it is shaded.

What parts of the deck you treat similarly depends on how directly the sun strikes each. On south facing decks, the sun hits horizontal surfaces directly, so you’ll need to treat the deck’s floor, stair treads, and rail tops most frequently. The sun is kinder to vertical surfaces, like rails, risers and deck trim; those you’ll need to treat only every several years.

The treatment you use is important. Mahogany is a fairly dense wood, but many commonly available “deck treatments” are relatively thick and will not soak in. They can lie on the surface and eventually flake off. Use a penetrating oil formulated for mahogany.

Treating your mahogany deck is a labor of love. It’s work, but you’ll love the results.